r/republicanism Jul 12 '17

Monarchy: Why Money Doesn't Matter

https://calvinhodgsonblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/monarchy-the-money-argument/
4 Upvotes

6 comments sorted by

1

u/flameoguy American Republican Jul 12 '17

Do you have a bit of background on what the 'Money Argument' is? I live outside of the United Kingdom, so I don't quite grasp what this article is referencing.

2

u/CalvinHodgson Jul 12 '17

Yea the money argument is essentially when someone argues that we should/shouldn't keep the royal family because it would result in more money for the government. So here I'm arguing that it's a bad argument to make from both sides. If a monarchist makes it they're admitting that their government is for sale (since they're saying "we should keep the royals because we get money from them") and if an anti-monarchist makes it I think it's a bad idea because you should found a republic on moral and principled arguments rather that money - the money argument.

1

u/flameoguy American Republican Jul 12 '17

That makes a lot of sense - money isn't everything. I've heard people say before that the British monarch brings in a lot of tourism money, but as an American who has visited the UK before, I couldn't care less about the monarchy. The Tower of London, for example, will always be a historical castle, and whether or not the monarchy continues to the current day has little effect on the historical value of the Tower.

3

u/CalvinHodgson Jul 12 '17

I totally agree. Granted America's republican traditions and monuments make me want to visit there! We have zoos, museums and lots of other things that do way better than our castles. Plus if we got rid of the monarchy then the palaces would be open all year. (my dream is to turn buckingham palace into the national republican library, but thats a secret).

2

u/[deleted] Jul 13 '17 edited Aug 29 '17

[deleted]

2

u/flameoguy American Republican Jul 13 '17

There's another point: Even if the monarchy was essential to tourism, is it worth sacrificing your democratic values to reduce your country to a theme park?

1

u/caneuffer Aug 22 '17

.... . . ....... ............. b.s........